Rail anchor



y 1941- R. F. WOOD EI'AL 2,243,238

RAIL ANCHOR Filed April 27, 1940 ATTORNEY Patented May 27, 1941 RAIL ANCHOR Robert F. Wood, Glenside, and Robert Seeman, Willow Grove, Pa.

Application April 2'7, 1940, Serial No. 331,951

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to rail anchors and has for its primary object the provision of inexpensive highly efiicient means for supporting track rails upon concrete slabs, steel beams, ties or sleepers upon which they are laid.

It is well understood that track rails tend to spread under the force and load of a moving car or train. It is essential then, that rail anchors be designed for the safe and secure support of the track rails. Inasmuch as the direct securing by means of spikes, of the rails to the bed ties, has been found inefficient in many cases, bed plates or saddles, secured to said concrete slabs, beams or ties, are being employed as supports for the rails. Various means have been devised for locking the rails to these saddles. Invariably, these means include or comprise bolt and nut devices which, however, loosen under use.

Recognizing the above faults, the present invention, seeking to overcome them, contemplates the provision of means, mounted upon the rail saddle, which are adjustable with respect to the rail to effectively grip the same, and which, when finally positioned, are welded to said saddle to form a permanent rail anchor incapable of loosening and affording the desired safety.

More specifically, the invention contemplates the provision of a rail saddle having angularly disposed and opposed cams, and rail gripping wedge members coacting with said cams, and welded thereto and to said saddle after proper rail gripping adjustment thereof.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for resiliently mounting the saddles upon the ties of the track.

The invention also presents a novel method for anchoring track rails wherein a saddle is first mounted on a tie, concrete slab, or steel beam either firmly or yieldingly, wedges are then driven between the saddle cams and the rail flange and said wedges then welded to said saddle to provide the desired permanent anchor.

The foregoing objects, features, and advantages of the invention and others later apparent will become more clearly evident from the following detailed specification which is based on the accompanying drawing. The illustrated embodiment in the drawing, while representing an at present preferred structure, is intended as exemplary only inasmuch as variation thereof well be made.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of a rail anchor such as contemplated herein.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

In that embodiment of the invention which is illustrated, a conventional form of rail tie 5 serves to support a track rail 6, also of conventional form.

As contemplated herein, a rail saddle 1 is provided, being secured to the tie, concrete slab or steel beam 5 by the bolts 8, anchored in the tie, and by means of nuts 9 and washers H] on said bolts. In order to yieldingly mount said saddle upon the tie, a spring I I, in compression, is interposed between each washer Ill and the saddle. The saddle, preferably comprises a rectangular plate of suitably strong metal, and as illustrated, is provided with angularly disposed parallel cam members I2 having opposedcam surfaces I3. Because of their disposition, these cam surfaces are disposed at an angle to the respective edges of the base flange of the rail 6. The angles thus formed are preferably sharply acute.

The rail 6, by means of its base flange is secured to the saddle l, as by means of the wedge members generally designated l4. These members, although a pair, are preferably made exactly alike so they may be interchangeably used. Each comprises a plate 15, and arcuate rail flange gripping portion 16, and a portion I1, having overstanding relation but not contact with the rail flange.

When a pair of wedge members are positioned on the saddle, their outer edges engage against the respective cam surfaces l3, and their inner edges contiguous but preferably not in contact. Thus, these wedges may be readily and easily slid along the top of the saddle for adjustable positioning thereof.

It will be noted that the gripping portion it, of each wedge is curved or arced to such a degree as to cause wedging of said portion between its respective cam surface I 3, and its respective edge of the rail flange. It will be clearly evident that, with a rail in overstanding relation to the saddle l, the wedge members may be s1idone from each side of the tie-under the rail flange and upon the saddle. These wedge members may now be driven into rail gripping and anchoring position in any suitable manner.

The rail in the above manner is effectively held against displacement. However, no matter how tightly seated, the wedge members may become loosened under use. Upon their ultimate proper assembly, therefore, the wedge members are secured to the saddle as by welding at l8, and l 9. These welds incorporate the wedge members as unitary portions of the saddle and the rail is permanently held thereby against all forces tending to move ittin a lateral or transverse direction, the vertical movement is limited, and the longitudinal is not absolutely fixed.

The portions l'l, having no contact with the rail, serve only the purpose of limiting upward movement thereof under certain circumstances and also allow for variations in the thickness of the rail flange.

The term tie as used herein is intended to include a concrete slab, a steel beam, or any other member upon which a rail may be mounted.

It may be clearly seen from the foregoing that a simple, inexpensive, and quickly applicable rail anchor has been provided having desired safety characteristics. But, as previously stated, since the invention may be practised in other ways, the scope of the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited by the instant details of disclosure of the form thereof presented.

We claim:

1. A rail anchor comprising a saddle having a supporting surface extending continuously from side to side thereof adapted to receive a rail transversely thereof, approximately parallel cams secured to the saddle on opposite sides of said supporting surface and arranged at acute angles to the normal direction of the rail, and wedge members abutting against said cams and adapted to wedge between the same and the rail, said wedge members having laterally arranged supporting plates secured thereto extending in opposed directions, said supporting plates being seated upon the supporting surface between the cams and extending a substantial distance therealong in position for receiving and supporting the rail base spaced above said supporting surface.

2. A rail anchor comprising a saddle having a supporting surface extending continuously from side to side thereof adapted to receive a rail transversely thereof, approximately parallel cams secured to the saddle on opposite sides of said supporting surface and arranged at acute angles to the normal direction of the rail, and wedge members abutting against said cams and adapted to wedge between the same and the rail, said wedge members having laterally arranged supporting plates secured thereto extending in opposed directions, said supporting plates being seated upon the supporting surface between the cams and extending a substantial distance therealong in position for receiving and supporting the rail base spaced above said supporting surface, each of said wedge members having a convex inner rail engaging surface.

3. A rail anchor comprising a saddle having a supporting surface extending continuously from side to side thereof adapted to receive a rail transversely thereof, approximately parallel cams secured to the saddle on opposite sides of said supporting surface and arranged at acute angles to the normal direction of the rail, and wedge members abutting against said cams and adapted to wedge between the same and the rail, said wedge members having laterally arranged supporting plates secured thereto extending in opposite directions, said supporting plates being seated upon the supporting surface between the cams and extending a substantial distance therealong in position for receiving and supporting the rail base spaced above said supporting surface, said Wedge members being welded to the saddle and secured in place thereby.

ROBERT F. WOOD. ROBERT SEElVLAN. 

